ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB White Edition Overview
For all intents and purposes, the Ryujin III is your pretty standard looking AIO cooler. But it is also much more than that. Available in 240mm and 360mm versions, the Ryujin III also comes in black and white versions – our review sample is the 360mm White Edition. As the name implies, we get a 360mm radiator paired up with three 120mm fans. The white color scheme is present everywhere on this cooler, aside from a few black cables that are found on the pump housing, and the fan screws. I would have loved to see ASUS outfit the White Edition with white cables and screws, but it might not be cost efficient, which is definitely something to consider when you factor in the price of this cooler. That said, all of the major components are white, and each has their own set of features that make them stand out from the competition.
First up is the 360mm aluminum radiator. We have typically seen 27mm thick radiators with other models, but ASUS has opted for a 30mm thick radiator for improved heat dissipation. That extra thickness translates into quite a bit more cooling fin surface for the fans to blow air across, as well as slightly wider channels for the liquid to flow through. All of that extra surface area should increase the performance of this radiator, though it will also require fans with enough static pressure to move air through the radiator.
With 20 fins-per-inch, the tight fin density is able to provide plenty of surface area with the 30mm thickness. The 120mm ROG MF-12S ARGB fans included with the Ryujin III have a static pressure rating of 3.88mm-H2O, which is quite a bit higher than the fans we have typically seen on AIOs we have previously reviewed, so we will have to see if these new fans are up for the challenge.
The entire radiator exterior is outfitted with a white paint job, and centered along each of the long sides of the radiator is a stylized “ROG” stamping.
Each braided cooling line exits from one end of the radiator’s end cap, and these lines are connected to the radiator via white plastic connectors. ASUS has chosen to utilize upgraded tubing with a 7mm interior diameter, as opposed to 5mm found on their previous models. This should improve flow in the closed loop system . We found the cooling lines to be quite flexible during installation, though their 400 mm length seemed a bit short during installation.
Taking a look at the CPU water block and pump combination unit, you can clearly see that ASUS has spent a lot of time tweaking things to their liking. I know this is subjective, but I think the rectangular housing looks awesome, for a variety of reasons. First up is the aluminum screen bezel that surrounds the 3.5″ color LCD. It’s white surface has a few gray accents that fit perfectly with the ROG aesthetic. Then you have the sides of the pump cover, which sport some awesome molded openings that act as intake fan vents for the embedded VRM fan inside. Each side panel also has some cool integrated ROG symbols that have made their way into the intake vents – a really cool design feature that we have come to love from ASUS.
Now this top portion of the water block is removable, giving you access to the pump and block below, as well as the VRM fan. Thankfully the process of removing and installing the pump cover is as simple as it gets – three magnets hold the screen and cover in place, while eight contact pads make the connection from the cover to the rest of the cooler. A single black USB cable routes down to your motherboard’s USB 2.0 header for control.
With the cover out of the way, you can bet a better view of the embedded VRM fan, which ASUS claims can reduce surrounding motherboard VRM temperatures by up to 35 degrees Celsius. Molded channels below the fan help direct airflow out towards the VRMs to the left and above the CPU socket.
Beneath the VRM fan is an 8th generation Asetek pump, with their three-phase motor. Below the pump is a 32% larger cold plate that has plenty of surface area for today’s hottest CPUs. A pre-applied section of thermal paste takes away any doubts about how much paste to use during installation, and the copper plate had a nice and smooth finish, though there was a bit of what looked like dried machining fluid on the base itself. I’m not sure if this was just missed during quality checks, but outside of looking a bit dirty, it shouldn’t affect our cooling performance.
Making our way around the cooler, exiting from the bottom side we have the two cooling lines. Each line is paired up with a swiveling fitting to make installation and fitment much easier than with fixed connections. This is another area where we find a bit of black on the cooler, but once installed, you really won’t be able to see this portion of the cooler anyways. Also exiting from this side of the unit is the 4-pin PWM cable for providing power and monitoring for the fan and pump. Again, I would have loved to see white cabling here, and I know they can do it, as the fan cable included with this cooler is white.
The right side of the cooler is pretty plain, aside from the ROG logo in the fan vent section.
There is a small opening where the USB cable from the display makes its way out, and I like how ASUS has incorporated the look of the opening into the design aesthetic of the pump housing.
The top edge of the cooler is also quite plain, with the ROG lettering in the fan vents and along the top edge of the aluminum LCD cover. Here you also find the opening for the internal fan to provide airflow to the VRMs above the CPU.
Moving to the left side of the cooler we again find the ROG logo on the fan vent, along with the opening for the internal fan to blow across the VRMs on the left of the CPU.
Taking a look at the screen itself, we have a 3.5″ color LCD that has seen some significant improvements over the previous model. You now get 32MB of internal storage as opposed to the previous 16MB. This allows for longer videos and animations to be stored, increasing your customization options. Additionally, you can have up to 2000 frames in your animation, four times the 500 frames in the previous generation. The screen also runs at 60FPS, and supports 24-bit color. We will go into exactly what you can display on the screen later on in this review.
ROG MF-12S ARGB Fans
ASUS has included three of their ROG MF-12S ARGB fans with the Ryujin III cooler. Like many fans we have been seeing recently, the MF-12S fans are daisy-chainable, meaning you don’t have to mess with any cables to connect them to each other, resulting in a cleaner look, without the hassle and mess of those pesky cables. Instead, the MF-12S fans utilize keyed connections on their sides, using magnets to keep the fans attached to one another, and male and female pogo pin connectors for power and lighting connectivity. It is so easy to put two fans next to each other, and they almost connect themselves thanks to the strong magnets.
One side of the fans has a set of male pogo pins, while the opposite has the female connections. This keeps things simple when connecting multiple fans, but also lets you choose which side of the chain you want your connector cable to go on. You aren’t stuck routing the cable from one side to another – instead you can just use the male or female cable that is included with the cooler to install in the manner that makes the most sense for your build.
And just like the fans, the connector cable easily snaps into place with the magnetic connection. On the other end of the connector cable is a single 4-pin PWM connector and a 3-pin ARGB connector.
As far as performance specifications go, the MF-12S fans offer a speed range of 600 of 2200 RPM at 36.45 dB(A) maximum noise level. With 3.88mm H2O air pressure, these fans should be able to provide plenty of flow through the thicker 30mm radiator that ASUS utilized in this cooler. Seven fan blades provide 70.07 CFM of airflow, and each blade is attached to its neighboring blades for reduced fan noise and better airflow direction. A small rubber pad is found in each corner of each side of the fan to help reduce any noise that might come from the fans making contact with the radiator or your case. LEDs inside the hub of each fan help illuminate your case interior in whatever color you might choose.
